Football Season Guide

Mechelen had an excellent campaign last year and were due to play in the top-six play-offs before the curtailment of the campaign. Wouter Vrancken has built a pretty impressive and resolute side that has managed to maximise the quality in the ranks while being stout and assured in defence. The aim for this season is to keep up the good work and try to once again challenge for the top places. Yet, Mechelen have lost a few important old heads in Arjan Swinkels and Clement Tainmont, and may struggle to hit the ground running as they did last year. Overall, there has been limited turnover in the squad and Vrancken has just two new faces in the camp in goalie Gaetan Coucke and promising defender Rocky Bushiri. Players like Joackim van Damme, Igor de Camargo and Jordi Vanleberghe will be expected to maintain the levels of consistency that carried the team while it will be interesting to see whether the precocious Aster Vranckx keep improving after a brilliant breakthrough campaign last year. Mechelen look a good bet to be among the challengers for Europe this season but one feels that they still need some more depth and attacking threat to really worry the rest of the league.